UATP Partners with MICA to Bring Credential-less Multi-Tender Payment Solution to Merchants
MWN-AI** Summary
UATP, a global network focused on simplifying payments, has announced a strategic partnership with Mica, a leader in credential-less payment infrastructure. This collaboration aims to provide merchants with a multi-tender payment solution, enhancing payment flexibility and streamlining operations. The innovative system allows merchants to allocate a single booking across various payment methods—such as cards, account-to-account payments, vouchers, and loyalty currencies—within a single transaction while ensuring easy settlement and reconciliation.
Central to this new solution is Mica’s patented credential-less tokenization technology, which eradicates the need for stored payment credentials—commonly targeted by fraudsters. Instead, the system generates one-time use tokens that enhance security and facilitate seamless transactions across various channels, including in-store, in-airport, and in-flight purchases. By leveraging UATP's network, merchants can modernize their payment infrastructure without disrupting existing relationships with acquirers, gateways, or settlement systems.
Ralph Kaiser, President and CEO of UATP, emphasized that the partnership enables merchants to adopt modern payment models efficiently. He noted the importance of providing comprehensive payment options without complicating the checkout process. Mike Ward, CEO of Mica, echoed this sentiment, claiming that the new offerings reduce the risks associated with payment fraud while improving the overall user experience.
This collaboration addresses an increasing demand for flexible payment solutions in retail and travel sectors, empowering merchants to enhance customer satisfaction through varied payment options. With support for both traditional and alternative payment methods—ranging from stablecoins to loyalty currencies—UATP and Mica are poised to drive significant innovation in payment technologies, catering to the evolving needs of merchants.
MWN-AI** Analysis
UATP’s partnership with Mica marks a significant evolution in payment technology, driven by the demand for greater flexibility and enhanced security in the transactions space. This collaboration introduces an innovative multi-tender payment solution that operates without relying on stored credentials, thereby reducing the risks associated with payment fraud. As consumers increasingly seek diverse payment options, this solution enables merchants to cater to varying preferences while streamlining their operations.
Investors should observe notable implications for the marketplace. Firstly, companies in the retail and travel sectors could derive substantial benefits from adopting UATP and Mica’s technology, which integrates seamlessly into existing systems. The credential-less nature of the solution not only reinforces security but also enhances customer trust, which is paramount in today’s competitive environment. This technological advantage could lead to increased sales and customer retention, providing a growth catalyst for merchants who implement these advanced payment systems.
Moreover, this partnership presents an opportunity for UATP and Mica to capture a larger slice of the fintech market, especially as digital and in-person transactions continue to rise. Stakeholders might consider investing in firms that pioneer or adopt similar innovative payment solutions, as they likely represent the next wave of growth in the fintech ecosystem.
In conclusion, UATP and Mica's enhanced payment solution is set to revolutionize transactions by blending flexibility with a robust security framework. Investors and merchants alike should closely monitor adoption rates and performance metrics, as the successful implementation of this technology could produce ripple effects throughout the industry, driving broader payment innovation and efficiency. A proactive approach toward embracing such advancements may very well translate into sustained competitive advantages.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
PR Newswire
Solution gives merchants greater payment flexibility and streamlined operations at the network level, powered by Mica's patented technology.
WASHINGTON and AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- UATP, the global network that helps organizations simplify payments and expand their payment options, has partnered with credential-less payments infrastructure provider Mica to launch multi-tender payment capabilities for merchants. Powered by Mica's patented payment technology and delivered through UATP's global payment platform, the new network solution enables merchants to intelligently allocate a single booking across multiple payment types in one transaction, while keeping settlement and reconciliation streamlined.
The solution brings together multi-tender orchestration, card authentication, intelligent payment routing, processing and automated reconciliation within a single, network-level payment flow. Merchants can combine cards, account-to-account payments, vouchers, coupons, loyalty currencies, and other stored-value instruments in one transaction, improving booking allocation and simplifying back-office operations.
The multi-tender payment solution incorporates patented credential-less tokenization and payment technology, which eliminates stored credentials entirely, removing a primary target for fraud and account takeover attacks. Unlike traditional tokenization, this approach generates ephemeral, single-use keys that cannot be intercepted or reused, enabling secure and flexible payment experiences across channels. This expands UATP's Ceptor capabilities to all channels including in-store, in-airport and in-flight purchases. The partnership solves a growing demand for payment optimization across retail and travel verticals alike. By operating at the network-level, UATP gives merchants a way to modernize their payment stack without disrupting existing acquiring, gateway, or settlement relationships.
"Merchants want to expand payment choice without adding complexity or cost," said Ralph Kaiser, President and CEO of UATP. "Our proven infrastructure, combined with Mica's technology, helps merchants adopt new payment models efficiently, even in the most complex business environments. By delivering multi-tender and credential-less capabilities as a network solution, we enable merchants to orchestrate multiple forms of payment within a single transaction, while keeping settlement, reporting, and reconciliation fully streamlined across the UATP platform."
The rule-based network capabilities allow merchants to decide how to allocate a basket total across various tenders, such as loyalty currencies, stored value, or alternative methods, before routing any remaining balance through card or account-based rails. With this flexibility, merchants can accept a broad range of payment forms, including stablecoin, account-to-account transfers, and traditional methods, all through a single platform optimized for online, in-app, and in-person use.
"Merchants have been forced to choose between payment flexibility and fraud protection. With Mica's credential-less tokenization and multi-tender payments technology now available through UATP's global network, they no longer must compromise. We are eliminating credential exposure that fuels massive payment fraud, with a more powerful payment experience with multi-tender orchestration, something legacy payment systems simply cannot deliver." said Mike Ward, CEO of Mica.
Because the capabilities are delivered through UATP's network, merchants maintain their existing acquiring, gateway, and settlement relationships while gaining access to new multi-tender orchestration and credential-less tokenization and payment technology. The solution will help drive payment innovation across the ecosystem as multi-tender adoption grows.
Media Contacts:
UATP: Wendy Ward, CMO, UATP, [email protected]
Mica: Christopher Loughlin, CGO, Mica, [email protected]
About UATP
UATP is one of the largest global and most secure closed-loop networks, simplifying payments in complex industries. We make it easy for businesses to make or accept any type of payment; open new markets, drive growth, and reduce costs for Issuers, Merchants, vendors, agents, aggregators, and more. UATP is continually innovating to connect companies to new forms of payment (AFPs), and our easy-to-use data tools, DataStream® and DataMine®, provide comprehensive account details to Issuers and Corporate Account Holders. Our team has decades of experience with the ever-changing payments landscape, and our reliable and proven technology ensures our global customers get more from every payment experience. Learn more at uatp.com.
Accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies, and Amtrak®; UATP accounts are issued by: Aeromexico; AERTiCKET; Air Canada (TSE: AC); Air China; Air New Zealand (ANZFF.PK); Air Niugini; AirPlus International a wholly owned subsidiary of SEB Kort; Akbar Travels; American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL); APG Airlines; APG Pay; Austrian Airlines; BCD Travel; China Eastern Airlines (NYSE: CEA); ConnexPay; Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL); EL AL Israel Airlines; Ethiopian Airlines; Etihad Airways; Fareportal; Flight Centre Travel Group; Frontier Airlines; GOL Linhas Aereas inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4); Hahn Air; High Point Travel; Hopper; Japan Airlines (9201:JP); JetBlue Airways; LATAM Airlines; MakeMyTrip; Qantas Airways (QUBSF.PK); Shandong Airlines; Sichuan Airlines; Southwest Airlines; Sun Country Airlines; TUIfly GmbH; Turkish Airlines (ISE: THYAO); United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL); Wego; WestJet; Wings Global Travel and W2 by GO7.
About Mica
Mica is building the infrastructure for how commerce moves value. Designed as modern payment infrastructure at the network layer, Mica can dramatically enhance or replace legacy card-based rails with a credential-less, multi-tender transaction model built for the realities of digital and physical commerce. The platform enables secure, flexible transactions across channels while preserving existing acquiring, gateway, and settlement relationships—allowing merchants and networks to modernize without disruption.
Mica offers patented credential-less tokenization and payment services extensible via APIs. Within a single payment rail Mica can support on-line, in-app, P2P and in-store use cases across any form of value; debit, credit, loyalty, crypto, closed loop, stablecoins, etc. By removing structural constraints embedded in traditional payment systems—rigid tender models, credential exposure, and operational friction—Mica gives merchants, networks, and platforms the ability to orchestrate how value is exchanged with greater intelligence, control, and scale. Learn more at www.mica.io.
SOURCE UATP
FAQ**
How does UATP's partnership with Mica enhance payment security for merchants, particularly for major clients like Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL)?
In what ways does the new credential-less multi-tender payment solution improve operational efficiency for merchants, especially in the airline industry such as Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL)?
Can you elaborate on how Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) and similar companies can leverage the multi-tender orchestration capabilities to optimize customer payment experiences?
What challenges do you foresee for Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) in adopting this new payment technology, and how can UATP and Mica assist in overcoming them?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Air New Zealand (OTC: ANZFF).
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